The Eckersley Family

When Samuel was only three years old, his mother died giving birth to his sister. From that point on, his paternal aunt took care of him in his early years. At some point in his younger years, Samuel was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While working in a factory, Samuel met Leah Hardman. The factory manufactured cloth like ginghams. Samuel and Leah married on June 4, 1854 in Stand Parish, England. A few years later, Samuel moved to the United States to find better work and opportunities. He was able to afford his family to move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was staying, in 1860. Both Samuel and Leah worked in a cloth factory to afford the cost of moving west to Utah.

The Eckerlsey family left Philadelphia on May 1, 1861 to move west. The exact company that the Eckersley Family joined is unknown, but a 'Captain Hunts Company' is present in family histories. While traveling in the company, food became very scarce to the point of starvation. The Church called men to go and take provisions to the company, Neriah R. Lewis, William Thompson, and Joseph M. Bright from Richmond helped the company. Because of these men, the Eckersley family moved to Richmond the same year.